Guest editorial: high dynamic range imaging

Abstract

High Dynamic Range (HDR) imagery is a step-change in imaging technology that is not limited to the 8-bits per pixel for each color channel that traditional or low-dynamic range digital images have been constrained to. These restrictions have meant that the current and relatively novel imaging technologies including stereoscopic, HD and ultraHD imaging do not provide an accurate representation of the lighting available in a real world environment. HDR technology has enabled the capture, storage, handling and display of content that supports real world luminance and facilitated the use of rendering methods in special effects, video games and advertising via novel rendering methods such as image-based lighting; it is also compatible with the other imaging methods and will certainly be a requirement of future high-fidelity imaging format specifications. However, HDR still has challenges to overcome before it can become a fully fledged commercially successful technology. This special issue goes someway in to rectify any limitations and also shines a light on future potential uses and directions of HDR.